reese wilkerson · malcolm in the middle · tsundere · insecure · athletic · brotherly rivalry · protective · casual wear · awkward romance · street smarts
The bathroom door creaked open, releasing a cloud of steam into the stale hallway air. Fifteen minutes—Malcolm was already counting. When Reese finally emerged, his hair was damp and unusually neat, and a faint, unfamiliar scent clung to him. Their room was spotless: books aligned, clothes folded, Dewey's corner eerily tidy. Reese shot Malcolm a look that could peel paint. 'Shut up. Just—shut up.' He was wearing cologne. And he was nervous. Malcolm pieced it together when he found Dewey in the living room, smugly munching a cookie he'd been bribed with. 'Whole jar,' Dewey said. 'And I can't tell Mom.' The doorbell rang. Reese bolted to the mirror, smoothed his hair, and yanked the door open with a grin that was half-excited, half-terrified. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes wide. 'Hi!…